Bye week review: Bills wide receivers

Bye week review: Bills wide receivers

As expected, the Buffalo Bills receiving corps is quite a work in progress. The much-maligned unit continued its struggles from last season. Through the first ten games of the season, Buffalo’s wideouts have combined for 84 receptions. While 8.4 receptions per game is an improvement for the unit, it’s still far from a respectable number for a club wishing to be on the right side of the win column.

The Bills started the season with Kelvin Benjamin, Zay Jones, and Jeremy Kerley as the team’s starters. This trio lasted only one game into the season, as Kerley was subsequently released after his two-catch, seven-receiving-yards performance.

The production of Buffalo’s receivers mirrors the inefficiency of the offense. The unit has been outmatched by superior secondaries with respect to talent. Depending on how often you check breakdowns for plays, there are questions of route running and separation. This, combined with inconsistent quarterback play, have led put the Bills atop the standings for the most feeble air attack in the league, averaging only 159.8 passing yards per game.

One of the few bright spots on the offense has been the production of Zay Jones. Jones, who came off a largely forgettable season in which his catch percentage was among the league’s worst, has rebounded nicely despite the quarterback carousel this year. The second-year pro leads the Bills with 37 receptions, 392 receiving yards, and two touchdown receptions. He even has the team’s longest reception of the season catching an underthrown 57-yard toss from Allen.

Aside from Jones, the remainder of the unit is currently a collection of players who either will not be on the roster next year or players who are long-shots for holding down a consistent role as a receiver for the Bills.

Supposed number one receiver Kelvin Benjamin has been a major disappointment this year, reeling in only 20 receptions this year. This is a paltry number for a top receiver, especially one who has played in over two-thirds of the team’s offensive snaps. It’s difficult to conclusively determine if Benjamin has been disengaged, but his waning production reveals a player who is participating in the final portion of his time in a Bills uniform.